#1 2019-11-30 10:27:42

attoparsec

New Member

Registered: 2019-11-30

Posts: 3

how to set just a solid color as wallpaper

hello !
is there a way to select just a solid color and no wallpaper image in nitrogen ?
the command line includes a --set-color option but it doesn't seem to work.

thnx,
-ap-

PackRat

jgmenu user Numero Uno

Registered: 2015-10-02

Posts: 2,817

Re: how to set just a solid color as wallpaper

You can use xsetroot to set a color for the desktop. Should already be installed.

Comment out the nitrogen command in the openbox autostart file and use something like:

xsetroot -solid "#000000" &

to set the background color. You can use a color name (without the quote marks) instead of the number.

The man page for xsetroot has some other options.

Last edited by PackRat (2019-11-30 10:59:35)

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clusterF

Member

Registered: 2019-05-07

Posts: 539

Re: how to set just a solid color as wallpaper

^ or

hsetroot -solid "#000000"

attoparsec

New Member

Registered: 2019-11-30

Posts: 3

Re: how to set just a solid color as wallpaper

thnx for answer @PackRat.

i have tried xsetroot and strangely it changes the conky background color but the rest of the desktop stays the same. it has no effect if i disable conky in autostart.

for now, i have created a small, transparent .png image and use nitrogen to set the bgcolor and the "wallpaper".
it does not survive a reboot so i am currently using

nitrogen --force-setter=xwindows --set-color=#204040 --set-tiled ~/Pictures/wallpapers/glass.png &>/dev/null

in my ~/.config/openbox/autostart

it works, but it's an ugly kludge.

(nitrogen devs: can we please have a "no wallpaper" option ?)

-ap-

PackRat

jgmenu user Numero Uno

Registered: 2015-10-02

Posts: 2,817

Re: how to set just a solid color as wallpaper

Did you log out and log back in? That should clear the wallpaper.

If not you can install hsetroot and try that. Similar to xsetroot but has options for gradients and other effects.

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You must unlearn what you have learned.
    -- yoda

attoparsec

New Member

Registered: 2019-11-30

Posts: 3

Re: how to set just a solid color as wallpaper

i have rebooted the box with the xsetroot in the startup script (and nitrogen commented out) but it doesn't seem to work.

on the other hand it seems that

 nitrogen --force-setter=xwindows --restore 

works in the startup script with both conky enabled/disabled.

ohnonot

...again

Registered: 2015-09-29

Posts: 5,592

Re: how to set just a solid color as wallpaper

for now, i have created a small, transparent .png image and use nitrogen to set the bgcolor and the "wallpaper".

This should be the way to do it with nitrogen.
If it doesn't apply, I seem to remember there were some other problems with nitrogen that have nothing to do with setting only a color.

I don't think your solution is a kludge, but you could just as well use another (simpler) wallpaper setter.
Not sure why you have difficulties with that; are you using a desktop manager?

And you could also use a 1x1px PNG that has your chosen color (no need for transparency).

Siera_Cortney

Member

Registered: 2026-01-13

Posts: 7

Re: how to set just a solid color as wallpaper

I've been looking for something to clean up my desktop lately. I actually stumbled across https://solidbg.com/ the other day while I was trying to fix some transparency issues on my custom folder icons. It’s pretty handy if you’re doing any quick image tweaks or background removals for custom assets without opening up GIMP every time.
Does anyone know if these themes play well with the latest Openbox config, or do they need some manual padding adjustments?

greenjeans

Member

Registered: 2025-01-18

Posts: 299

Website

Re: how to set just a solid color as wallpaper

I just use gimp to make a wallpaper in the size I need, color it solid black, then throw it in the wallpaper folder. Really the easiest way.

brontosaurusrex

Senior Associate, Middle Office

Registered: 2015-09-29

Posts: 2,771

Re: how to set just a solid color as wallpaper

Just to answer to the op, 7 years later, i did some scripts a while ago (click the color(s) on the screen and it will wallpaper):
https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic.php?id=8062 < scripts
https://brontosaurusrex.github.io/2022/02/03/Gradients/ < some more or less interesting gradients

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